Polar Prize Awards

[Pamela Moberg]

The Polar Prize (aka Nobel Prize in music) was announced this evening.

American winners - again - Chuck Berry and the theater director Peter Sellars. Very pleased about Chuck Berry, I have been a great fan of him since I was a kid. Before he was famous, he toured Sweden in the fifties, playing band stands in municipal parks. I was on that circuit myself as a youngster and I can assure you that it is a very tough life. But Chuck Berry was a no nonsense guy, he hired a Volkswagen and drove around the country never complaining about the conditions. Peter Sellars' work I do not know much about, but no doubt he is a worthy recipient.

The prize sum is not to be sneezed at either, one million SEK (Swedish crowns) per recipient. There will be a gala in August and H.M. the King will present the awards. Chuck Berry has already answered that he will attend - not bad, the guy is 86!

[Helene]

Thank you so much for sharing the news!

Not everyone appreciates Peter Sellars' work. He's probably best known in the opera world for his modern dress productions of Mozart operas and for his collaboration with John Adams on "Dr. Atomic" - Sellars also wrote the libretto for it -- and "Nixon in China," where he brought the concept to Adams and pushed until Adams agreed.

[sandik]

I've heard Sellars speak several times, and I always come away with my head full of exciting ideas.

[kfw]

I've heard Sellars speak several times, and I always come away with my head full of exciting ideas.

I believe it! The Flowering Tree is the Adams-Sellars collaboration I especially loved.

Chuck Berry's touring "concept," or so I've read, was to hire a local band in every town he played. (He probably took a band of his own to Sweden). I was lucky to see him once with his recording pianist, Jimmy Johnson, and with Keith Richards.